She hadn’t replied to his threat, instead she’d turned her attention to her meal.
“Look,” he said, “can we just enjoy this delicious casserole you made?”
She lifted her gaze and stared at him. “I am enjoying it.”
There was something new in her eyes, something like determination. He liked it, but he wondered why it had suddenly appeared. What was she thinking?
“I’m sorry I made you leave that morning,” he said, hoping to placate her. “I should have believed you when you said you were stranded.”
She looked up, her eyes sharp. “Believed me? What do you mean?”
Had he inadvertently told her more than he’d meant to?
Setting her fork down, she locked eyes with him. “Why didn’t you believe me?”
Because I thought you were a football groupie who had broken into my house. Since he couldn’t say that, he had to come up with a reasonable explanation for his doubt, but he was drawing a blank. “Because,” he said, his mind scrambling. “I didn’t know you.”
Her eyes narrowed as her head tilted. “What difference did that make? What reason would I have had to lie?”
It came to him and he nearly grinned with relief. “You could have been some homeless girl looking for a place to squat. And since I wasn’t home…” He let the words trail off.
Shay couldn’t argue with that. Besides, she was a homeless girl. But not a squatter. She’d just been desperate for something to drink. And a safe place to spend the night.
“Okay,” she said. “I guess.”
“Anyway,” he said with a smile, “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you at first.”
“So you came for me because you decided I was telling the truth?”
“Yes,” he said, his eyes wide like he hadn’t realized the reason until she’d said it. “Yes, that’s exactly why.”
Did she believe his explanation? It still seemed like he wasn’t being completely truthful with her. Looking through the lens she’d been wearing, the one where she assumed he was a criminal, she still thought her original explanation that he’d had to hide something before he could let her stick around made the most sense. It fit with his secretiveness around his barn and the sense she got that he wasn’t being truthful.
It didn’t matter though. Her mind was made up. The next morning while he was working in his office, she’d leave. She wouldn’t even say good-bye. She would just leave. It would be better that way. Better if she didn’t have to look into those amazing blue eyes and say good-bye forever.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cleaning up from breakfast the next morning, Shay was on edge. Knowing she was going to walk away into an unknown future had her nerves singing. Not to mention the fact that after today she would never see Josh again. Even though she was uncertain about his true character, she’d really grown to like him, maybe she’d even started falling for him.
Didn’t matter. She had to go. She couldn’t pretend like there could be a future between the two of them. She didn’t know enough about him, what he was hiding. All she knew was that ever since he’d come for her that first day he’d been nothing but kind to her. Plus he was so attractive, so strong, so…
She had to stop thinking about him like that. She couldn’t let herself get that close to him. Not without revealing her deepest, darkest secret—that she’d just escaped an abusive relationship. If Josh knew that, would it change the way he saw her? She hated that idea. She wanted him to see her as she was, not as the woman she’d been.
No, she had to go. She had to do this on her own, remake herself into the woman she’d been on the way to becoming before Will had stepped into her life. Then she’d be ready for a relationship. Of course Josh would be long out of the picture by then.
Sadness at that realization swept over her, but she had to move forward with her plan despite the difficulty of leaving.
“What do we need to do in the garden today?” Josh asked as he came into the kitchen.
“Just, uh, just water it.” She turned to look at him. “It needs to be watered every day, especially as the weather gets hotter.” Why was she acting like that? It was almost as if she was broadcasting that she wouldn’t be there to do the watering.
“Okay,” he said, his forehead furrowed. “Do you need any help?”
“No.” The syllable came out quickly, so she smiled to soften it. “No, I can handle it.”
He nodded. “Great. I have to make up for skipping work yesterday.”
That was good. That meant he’d be in his office for a long time, giving her a chance to get a good head start before he realized she’d left.
Tossing him a smile, she turned her attention back to washing the dishes and a moment later she heard him walking out of the kitchen. The second she was done in the kitchen she hurried through watering the garden—after all of their work she didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize the seedlings getting a good start.
Satisfied the plants had quenched their thirst, she went into the house and strode briskly to her room. She still had the backpack Josh had given her when he’d kicked her out, so she filled it with the few belongings she’d earned, then she went into the kitchen and put some bottled water, as well as a bit of food, inside.
Zipping up the pack, she looked around the room that had begun to feel like home. Was she sure she wanted to leave?
Biting her lip as indecision rushed through her, she sighed and shook her head. Leaving was for the best.
Her gaze settled on the notepad she’d used when she’d plotted out the garden. The least she could do was leave a note thanking Josh for helping her.
Setting the backpack on the floor, she paused to listen to make sure she was alone, then wrote a brief note.
Josh - Thank you so much for all you’ve done for me. You didn’t know me, yet you helped me when I needed it the most.
It’s time for me to move on, but I couldn’t leave without telling you how much I appreciate your kindness.
Shay hesitated before writing a final line.
Don’t come for me this time. I need to do this on my own.
Shay
She reread the note, then set it in the middle of the table where she was sure Josh would see it. With a final look around, she swung the backpack onto her shoulders and walked to the front door. Opening it a crack, she peered out to make sure Josh wasn’t coming her way, and not seeing him anywhere, she stepped onto the porch, her gaze going to the barn.
With a final sigh, she walked down the porch steps and began the trek to the main road. Grateful for the sturdy shoes Josh had bought her, she was confident that even if she couldn’t hitch a ride she would be able to walk all the way to Burton—a town she had now visited.
Determination flowed through her—determination to get to Reno and find a job, to start her life anew.
Striding along the shoulder of the road, Shay’s mind went to Josh and she wondered what he was doing just then. Had he gone into the house for any reason and found the note? Probably not. It hadn’t even been an hour since she’d left. Most likely he wouldn’t realize she’d left until lunchtime, and if he was busy working, he might not even notice it then.
Adjusting the straps of the backpack on her shoulders, she heard the sound of a car approaching. She surprised herself when she didn’t attempt to get it to stop and pick her up. It drove on by, and she kept walking.
At least she didn’t feel any blisters. Walking in a good pair of sneakers beat walking in flip flops any day. She felt like she could walk for miles—which was funny since that’s exactly what she would be doing.
She didn’t know where she would sleep that night, but she would deal with that when the time came. Optimism surged through her. She could get where she needed to go all on her own. Yes, she already missed Josh—much more than she thought she would—but she loved the feeling of taking charge of her life.
The morning had been productive. Josh had finished watching the game he’d wanted
to study and had hardly thought of Shay the entire time. Well, that wasn’t strictly true. He’d thought of her every five minutes, but hey, that wasn’t the entire time.
Stretching his arms above his head, he smiled as he pictured her working hard in the garden and he had a sudden desire to join her. Why not? He’d earned a break.
Softly chuckling at the idea that working in the garden was the way he wanted to spend his break, he stood before walking out of his office and towards the barn door. Maybe he was ready to tell Shay the truth about who he was. He’d known her less than a week, but that didn’t seem to matter. His attraction to her had been blossoming, and he’d grown to hate lying about the biggest thing in his life.
Smiling, he nodded.
Yes, it was time.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Josh bypassed the house and went directly to the garden. Expecting to see Shay hunched over the soil tending the seedlings, when he was greeted with silence he was surprised. Water glistened on the seedlings and the ground was damp, so she’d been working out here. Turning towards the house, he smiled. She must have finished what she’d needed to do and had gone inside to take a break.
With a purpose in his step, he strode to the kitchen door and pulled it open.
“Shay?” he called out, expecting a reply. When the only sound was the soft hum of the refrigerator, he went into the living room but found it empty.
Maybe she was upstairs. Taking the steps two at a time, he reached the top then went into her room. The bed had been converted back into a fold-out couch and the room looked a little too tidy. A sense of unease engulfing him, Josh looked in the drawers where Shay kept her things and found them empty.
What was going on? Where was she?
He went to the window that overlooked the front of the house, his gaze shooting in all directions. She was nowhere to be seen.
Had Will found her and taken her?
Fresh panic swept over him.
How could he have found her? Had she texted him after all? After she’d left a message for her mother, she’d turned her phone off. Had she waited until she’d been alone and decided to get in touch with Will, tell him where she was?
He thought about the look of determination he’d seen in her eyes at dinner. Did that have something to do with this?
His mind in a whirl, he made his way to the kitchen. His mouth had gone dry. Pouring himself a glass of cold water, he leaned against the counter as he gulped it down, then he surveyed the kitchen, picturing Shay working at the counter, loving the image.
He had to find her. She could be in danger.
Then a slip of paper on the table caught his eye. In three steps he was to the table where he snatched the paper from the tabletop and quickly read the note.
Josh - Thank you so much for all you’ve done for me. You didn’t know me, yet you helped me when I needed it the most.
It’s time for me to move on, but I couldn’t leave without telling you how much I appreciate your kindness.
Don’t come for me this time. I need to do this on my own.
Shay
The first emotion he felt was relief. Will hadn’t taken her. Immediately after that a mix of annoyance, worry, and determination surged through him—annoyance that she would leave without telling him face to face, worry that she was in danger, and determination to find her.
Setting his jaw, he grabbed the keys for his ATV and headed to the garage. When he stood beside his ATV moments later, he paused. Was he wrong to want to go after her? She’d specifically asked him not to, stating that she needed to do this on her own. Do what? Throw herself to the wolves? He hadn’t forgotten the story she’d told him about the men trying to force her into their truck.
Picturing her being dragged away by men who meant to do her harm, or by Will who had stated that he was going to find her, that he was done being reasonable, Josh felt adrenaline flood his veins. He had to get to her. Immediately.
Jumping onto the ATV, he started it and drove out of the garage. When he reached the road, he hesitated, not sure which way she’d gone, but then he figured she would head toward Burton as that was the way she’d been going before.
He pulled onto the road, keeping close to the shoulder. How long ago had she left? She had to be on foot, so she couldn’t have gone very far. Unless she’d already hitched a ride.
Urgency to find her before she climbed into a car with a stranger made him open the throttle.
Keeping a steady pace, Shay continued walking. Several cars had passed her, but she’d ignored each one. Confused by her reluctance to shorten her walk, she analyzed her feelings. Was she resistant to putting distance between herself and Josh? If so, why? She had no illusions about her level of attraction to him. The more time she spent with him, the deeper her attraction to him had grown. At first it had been all about his incredible good looks—who was she kidding, that still played a large part. But it had become more than that. Despite his occasional threat to kick her out, he’d been nothing but kind and thoughtful. The polar opposite of Will.
Maybe that was the problem. She was afraid of falling for him and having him turn into someone else, someone she hadn’t realized he truly was. She could sense that he was hiding something from her, and her fear of whatever that thing was had scared her away.
Yet…yet. She already harbored some level of regret for leaving. She could have stuck around, figured out what he was hiding, decided if he was worth it. But what if she’d fallen harder for him and then discovered that he was into something bad, something criminal? Then what? It would have been that much harder to leave.
No, she’d made the right choice.
Then why did she feel so discouraged?
Her future was wide open, which should have filled her with optimism. Yet it didn’t. That future would not include Josh. It couldn’t.
And then there was Will. How long would he look for her before he gave up and moved on? The man could be relentless, and she knew she’d hurt his pride by leaving. Maybe he even cared about her in his own twisted way.
When she’d turned her phone on again the night before to see if her mother had called back, she’d also been curious to see if Will had sent any new texts. He hadn’t, and that continued silence worried her.
But he had no way to find her. No way to know which direction she’d gone. She was safe. She had to be.
The sound of an engine reached her ears, but it sounded different than the vehicles that had passed her. It almost sounded like an ATV.
Could it be? Had Josh come after her even though she’d asked him not to? Heart racing, Shay spun around to look in the direction of the sound. Moments later a woman flew by on an ATV, then a man who wasn’t Josh drove past on his ATV.
Disappointment slammed into Shay, and to her shock she realized she’d been hoping Josh would come for her.
But she’d told him not to. Of course he wouldn’t. He would respect her wishes.
Regret uncoiled inside her. She could turn around and go back, but that would put her right back where she’d been that morning—on unsteady footing with regards to whether or not she could stay with Josh, not to mention her uncertainty and concern over what he was hiding.
No, she needed to continue on the path she’d chosen when she’d walked away from Josh’s house that morning.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Plodding onward, when Shay heard another ATV approaching, she didn’t bother to turn around. No point in getting her hopes up only to have them dashed. Moments later the sound of the ATV changed, sounding like it was slowing down.
Could it be?
Almost afraid to find out, she slowly turned and saw…Josh, wearing a huge grin.
“I found you,” he called out as he pulled to a stop beside her.
Though thrilled that he’d come for her, she still had the same kaleidoscope of emotions—worry about what he was hiding, uncertainty about whether he would let her stay, excitement at seeing him.
Tempering her
happiness with her concern, she smiled. “Hey.”
He climbed off of the ATV and leaned against it, facing her, his arms folded across his chest. “Where’re you going?”
“Didn’t you get my note?” She stood only a few feet away, her strong attraction to him keeping her from turning and continuing her trek.
“Yeah.” One side of his mouth tugged up. “What’s going on?”
What’s going on? Wasn’t it obvious? Hadn’t she told him enough? Apparently not. “Like I said in the note, it’s time for me to move on.”
“Why? What’s the hurry?”
Maybe she should tell him her reasons, let him know that he needed to come clean. Heart pounding at the idea of saying what was on her mind—something she always avoided doing with Will for fear of his reaction—she chewed the inside of her lip. If she had any hope of becoming the independent woman she wanted to be, she needed to take charge. Besides, what was the worst that could happen? He’d turn around and go back to the cabin and she would go on her way?
“The hurry…” The words trailed off as her stomach started to churn. Did she really want to know the truth? Maybe it was better to believe he was a good guy and not know that he was really a criminal. To say their good-byes and leave it at that.
“Yeah?” he prompted, his blue eyes locked on her face.
Not able to tear her gaze away, she swallowed. “What are you hiding, Josh?”
He recoiled slightly, his hands falling to his sides. “Hiding?”
Noticing that he hadn’t denied it, she stared at him. “It’s just a feeling I get whenever I ask you about your job.” She paused a beat. “You’re not a financial consultant, are you?”
His expression said it all—his eyes slightly wide, his lips parted.
She was right. He had lied to her.
“No,” he finally said. “I’m not.”
Fear and curiosity swept over her. “What do you really do?”
Illegal Procedure (Fair Catch Series, Book One) Page 12
